Art + Interiors: Purple Mystic [Amanda Raek]

Associated with both nobility and spirituality, Purple is an incredibly empowering color. I have to admit it is not usually in my own color palette but when I found this photography on Etsy by Amanda Raek I knew I had to post about it. I love the back and forth between the focused forground and the blurred out background, the graphic texture of the flowers' stigmas against their soft petals and the touch of blue here and there that give the work its calming affect.

"I belive that we must find, all of us together, a new spirituality"- Dalai Lama

Side table via Arteriors, pendants via Nice Modern, pillow via Urban Outfitters, rug via JhMinassian, chaise via Urban Outfitters, end table Kartell

I love mixing traditional and modern in an unexpected way; the tufted plum chaise next to the lucite end table, the modern pendants hovering over a vintage rug and the graphic pillows adding rhythm to the space. It's a great way to blend styles for those of us that just cannot settle on one and it's a look that feels right in place whether in an old house or a new loft. Enjoy!



Art + Interiors: Monet and Meditation...

With all the rain we've been having here in California and very little fall,  I've been feeling the world in misty blues, greens and greys. I love the way the rain makes everything around you seemed sort of washed out, it gives you a sense of meditative isolation and with the busy daily grind I've found its important to relish these moments.

Monet's 'Water Lilies paintings' seemed like a perfect fit for this feeling. The impressionist style focused much more on what the artist felt that they saw rather than what they knew was there and the results were gorgeous paintings full of movement and emotion. The depth created by layer upon layer of paint without much emphasis on precision or detail gives the series their meditative quality, and the deep blues and greens offset by the bright water lilies provides the viewer with hope.

Rug via http://www.jhminassian.com/, chair via Kartell, Pouf via via http://www.shinebysho.com/, chest and end table via Four Hands, chandelier via Marjorie Skouras

The green lucite chair on the deep turquoise vintage rug creates a great juxtaposition of old and new that is evident in Monet's work, especially his later works. He was painting with such experience and rigor and yet opening up the door for the abstract movement of the future. The Moroccan accents under a rich blue chandelier would make this space a perfect little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the everyday. Enjoy!

Also, check out my guest post on the lovely http://www.strataflora.com/!